2011-12 LA Lakers Predictions
Written by Jack Jones
The Los Angeles Lakers came up short of a three-peat least season. They were swept in four games in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks, who went on to win the title. This team has been looking to overhaul their roster a bit this offseason, and the have already started making their moves.
The Lakers agreed to on a three-team deal that would have paired Chris Paul with Kobe Bryant, while getting rid of Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom in the process. The NBA owners vetoed the deal, which left Gasol and Odom disgruntled in Los Angeles.
L.A. has sent Odom to the Dallas Mavericks for future draft considerations. Gasol still remains a Laker, but this team is still looking to trade for Dwight Howard and he would certainly be a part of that deal if it were to go through. If Howard doesn’t come to L.A., then the Lakers will still have a nice three-headed monster in Bryant, Gasol and Andrew Bynum going forward.
They signed Jason Kapono in free agency, who is a career 43.7 percent 3-point shooter and will help stretch the floor. The Lakers also signed Josh McRoberts, who averaged 7.4 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Indiana Pacers last year. He won’t replace Odom, but he will certainly help fill that void.
Odom is unquestionably a big loss for this team. He averaged 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds last season, and he’s arguably the best sixth man in the league. The Lakers also let Shannon Brown go in free agency. He was instant offense and always provided a spark for this team off the bench.
Bryant can still get it done, finishing fifth in the league in scoring (25.3) while averaging 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists last season. This extra time off will only help energize Bryant, who was growing pretty tired while trying to make a run at a three-peat.
Gasol needs to become more aggressive after a “down year” in which he averaged 18.8 points and 10.2 rebounds. He had some off-the-court distractions he was dealing with, but Gasol should come back much more focused and determined this season.
Bynum just can’t seem to stay healthy. He missed 28 games last year with knee problems, but he played well when he was on the floor. Bynum averaged 11.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and nearly 2.0 blocks per game in limited minutes. He’ll be suspended for the first five games of the season after a flagrant foul on J.J. Barea in Game 4 of the Dallas series.
Players who should play a more significant role this season include F Derrick Caracter, SF Matt Barnes, and SF Luke Walton. Caracter and McRoberts are going to have to try and hold it down early as Bynum serves his suspension. Also, look for Steve Blake to take a few more minutes from Derek Fisher this season. Fisher has been a clutch performer in the playoffs, but he seems to lose a step every year.
Western Conference Prediction: 1st Pacific Division – I can start to see the power in the West shifting to the likes of Dallas and Oklahoma City. However, I still believe the Lakers have at least one more run in them this season. Their trio of Bryant, Gasol and Bynum trumps just about any other trio in the league with the exception of the Miami Heat. No team is going to benefit from this lockout more than the Lakers, who had been playing basketball for almost three straight years without much of a break. An early exit in the playoffs last year will have this team coming back hungry and motivated for another title.
Be sure to check out what Jack Jones has in store with his 2011-12 NBA predictions article that lists where each team finishes in every division.
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